Suspension

Spring 2021

Photography: Jihun Kang

A crucial element to the Pratt curriculum is the methodology of Rowena Reed Kostellow. Through an understanding of abstraction, students can then apply these elements into practice. The Suspension Bridge is a sketch demonstrating the application of Reed’s principles into a functional object. Left in a state of abstraction, the Bridge demonstrates the significance of gesture and the dynamic relationship between line and plane. 

The beauty of the Pratt 3D curriculum lies in its fundamental respect for abstraction. This bridge was left to a degree of abstraction to enhance the relationships between the elements. A smooth steam-bent museum board structure supports the dynamic vehicles all cut at an angle. Wire trusses lunge at the museum board holding the super structure. Steamed wood dowels sprout from their base with an elegant gesture to cantilever the roadway.